Door operating mechanism



y 1933- E. R. BEEMAN ET AL 1,916,652

DOOR OPERAT ING MECHANI SM Filed Dec. 28, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 4, 1933- E. R BEEMAN ET AL MECHANISM DOOR OPERATING 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 28

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0 E 2 W0 m j 55 Patented July 4, 1933 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE p a EDWIN R. BEE'MAN AND LLOYD B. EDWARDS, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA; SA ID I EDWARDS ASSIGNOR TO SAID BEEMAN DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Application filed December 28, 1931. Serial No. 583,426.

efficient mechanism for operating an over-" head sliding door for a garage or the like To the above end, the invention conslsts of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter descrlbed and defined 1nthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

. .Fig. 1 is a perspective view taken from the inside of a garage or other buildin fragmenta-ri'ly illustrated, having 'a wi e door opening that is closed by a multi-section overhead sliding door and also illustrating the improved operating mechanism as designed and used for opening andclosing a wide door;

F ig. 2 is a fragmentary detail view partly in side elevation and partly in section taken substantially on the line 2f2 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale, some parts being shown in different positions by. means of broken lines;

Fig. 3 is a View corresponding .to Fig. 2 with the exception that the number ofparts illustrated have been reduced and certain of the illustrated parts have been broken away and sectioned on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is adetail view principally insection taken on the line 4 -4 0f Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale, with certain of the parts shown in difierent positions by means of broken lines; r

Fig. 5 isa'detail view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section taken on the line 5- 5 of Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale; and r Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, but still further fragmentarily illustrated,

with the eiiception that the operating inecha nism shown is designed for opening and Jclosing a relatively narrow multi-section overhead sliding door.

The numeral 7 indicates a garage or. other 1 building having a wide door opening 8 and a multi-section overhead sliding door 9 for 1 closing said opening; Adjacent sections of the door 9, which are verticallspaced when closed, are connected at their inner faces by The door 9 is supportedyand hinges 10. guided by a plurality of rollers 11 arranged to run in channeled tracks 12. Certain of the rollers 11 are journaled on the pivot pins of the hinges 10, at the vertical edges of the door 9, and the other of said rollers are j ournaled on pins at the four corners of the door 9. The tracks, 12 are arranged with their channels in opposing'relation andinelude vertical sections at the sides of the door opening 8, which are rigidly secured-t0 the frame therefore, and overhead horizontal sections which are just above the door opening 8. These horizontal sections of the track 12 are supported by brackets 13 from the: ceiling of the building 7. The elbows of the track 12 are formed on curves for the free and easy travel of the rollers 11 between the vertical and horizontalv sections of the tracks 12.

The parts thus far described are of standard and well-known construction and have been illustrated simply for the purposeof showing the invention in working position.

Referring now in detail to the invention. which shows two of the improved operators for the door 9, which is relatively wide, and which operators are attachedto said door, one near each upper corner thereof, and

simultaneously operated to positively open and close the door 9 without angular movement in the plane thereof; Each operator, which is complete in itself, includes .a long horizontal rack 14 and an intermeshing rear end to the ceiling of said building, as .indicated at 19. In some instances the rearend 0f the shaft 17 may be secured to the rear wall of the building 7, as indicated by broken lines in Fig.1, instead of to the ceiling, as indicated by full lines.

Both pinions 15 are rigidly secured to a long shaft 20 which extends transversely under the racks 14 and is journaled in bearings 21 on the ceiling of the building "I. In

the link 23, which is made up of a pair of laterally spaced fiat metal bars. These link bars are pivoted at their upper ends to the arm 22, one on each SlClB thereof, by a nut-equipped bolt 25 for swinging movement toward and from the door 9. The other or lower ends of the bars forming the link 23 extend between a pair of laterally spaced vertical angle bars 26 and are pivoted and detachably secured I thereto by a nut-equipped bolt 27. The two pairs of angle bars 26 are rigidly secured to the door 9 at its inner face and near the two upper'corners thereof with the axis of the bolts 27 substantially aligned with the pivot pins of the uppermost pair of hinges 10.

The bifurcated head 24 is held against axial movement on the rack body 16 by a fixed collar 28 on said body between the prongs of the head 24. Journaled on the head 24, forward of the rack body 16, is a 40 pair of anti-friction rollers 29 arranged to run on diametrically opposite sides of the shaft 17 and support the respectlve end of said body out of contact therewith. It will be noted that the internal diameter of the rack body 16 is slightly larger-than the eX- ternal diameter of the shaftli'. .The pinion 15 supports the rack 14 with itsbody 16 out of contact with the shaft 17 so that there is very little friction produced by the endwise movement of the rack 14 in respect to said shaft. I

It is important to note that when the door 9 is closed and rests on the door sill, the head 24 is axially spaced from the shaft support 18 with freedom for-further forward endwise movement and that the link 23 is oblique to the plane of the door 9, or in other Words the toggle formed by the arm 22 and the link 23 is buckled, see Fig. 2. endwise pressure on the rack 14 by the pinion 15 will tend to straighten the toggle 22-23 and thereby press the door 9 downward onto the sill and it will also press the upper por tion of the doorlaterally against the-frame stops. i

Obviously, forward In case the electric current or other source of energy for the mechanism operating the shaft 20 should be shut olf, the link 23 may be detached from the door 9 by removing the bolt 27 and the head 24 turned about its axis, to position the link 23 out of the path of movement of the door 9, as shown by broken lines in Fig. 4, so that said door may be manually operated.

A spring latch 30 is provided forholding the link 23, as indicated by broken lines in 4. This latch 30 is in the form of a flat plate rigidly secured to the arm 22 and provided with a central aperture 31 arranged to receive a detent 32 on the collar 28 to interlock the latch 30 therewith.

t is well-known that a wide vertical sliding door will bind or stick, even when guided by rollers in tracks or ways, if it is not evenly lifted or lowered or in case there should be an obstruction on the sill that would tend to tilt the door in the plane thereof By using two of the improved door operators attached to door near each upper corner thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, and simultaneously actuating the two operators, the door willbe evenly I moved and positively held against play or slack that would tend to cause the same'to bind or stick in its tracks or ways.

' From the illustrations in the drawings'an the above description it is evident that the shafts 17, which arerigidly secured at .each of their ends to the building structure, positively hold the racks 14 against movement in all directions except straight line endwise movement. When the door 9 is closed, the links 23, which are upright, positively lock the door closed without any play whatsoever. It is also evident that very little head room,- above the door opening 8, is required for the installation of either the single or double-operator.

Fig. 6 shows the use of only a single operator for a relatively narrow door andin which installation'the link 23 is attached to the door at the transverse center thereof. In this showing of the single operator, parts thereof corresponding to like parts shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, are given the same reference numerals followed by a prime.

While the drawings show a multi-section overhead sliding door the operating mechanism is equally well adapted for use .in con-- nection with a solid door mounted forbodily'i swinging movement about a horizontal axis.

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From what has been said, it will be understood that the door operator described .is capable of modifications as to details ofconstruction and arrangement within the scope of the invention herein disclosed and claimed.

Whatweclaim is: 1 .z

1. In a device of the classdescribed,an overhead sliding door, means for guiding the door from a closed vertical position to an open overhead horizontal position, a rack having a tubular body, a shaft extendingaxially through the rack body and supporting the rack for endwise movement thereon,

means connecting the door to the rack body for movement therewith, and means for reciprocating the rack to open and close the door. v

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the shaft is secured at each end to a relatively fixed support.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 which further includes a pair of anti-friction rollers journaled on. the rack body atits front end and arranged to run on diametrically'opposite sides of the shaft.

l. Ina device of the class described, an overhead sliding door,,means for guiding the door from a closed vertical position to an open overhead horizontal position, a rack having a tubular body, a shaft extending axially through the rack body and supporting the rack for endwise movement thereon, a

head on the rack body'at the front end thereof, a pair of anti-friction rollers journaled on the head arranged to run on diametrically opposite sides ofthe shaft, a link-pivotally connecting the door to the head, and means for reciprocating the rack to open and close the door. I p I 5. In a device of-the class described, an overhead sliding door, means for guiding the door from a closed vertical position to an -0 en overhead horizontal osition an over-' head horizontal shaft extending longitudinally of the door when open, a member mounted on the shaft for reciprocatory move ment longitudinally thereof, means connecting the door to said member, means for reciprocating said member to open and close the.

door, said door connecting means being movable into an inoperative position to discon--- said member to open and close the door, said link being. detachable from the door for movement out of its path of movement to permit the door to be manually operated, and a latch for holding the link out of said path of movement.

7. In a device of the class described, an overhead sliding door, means for guiding the door from a closed vertical position to an open overhead horizontal position, an overhead horizontal guide extending longitudinally of the door when open, a member mount- 7 ed on the guide for reciprocatory movement, a bifurcated head turnably mounted on the member, a fixedcollar on the member between the-prongs ofthe head for holding said head against axial movement on the member, alink pivotally connecting the door to the head, said link being detachable from the door for movement with the head aboutthe axis thereof out of the path of movement of the door to permit the same to bemanuallyoperated, and means for reciprocating the member to open and close-the'doon 8. The structure defined in claim 7 which further includes a latch on the head arranged to interlock with a detent on the collar during turning movement of the head on the mem ber by the movement of the link out of the path of movement of the door.

9. The structure defined in claim 1 in which 1 the means for-connecting the door to the rack body includes a radially projecting arm on the rack body and a link pivoted at one end to the arm and at its other end to the door,

said arm and link whenthe door is closed afford a toggle and at Which time the door affords a base of resistance for the toggle and causes the same to straighten under the action of the doorreciprocating means and press the door closed.

.10. In a device of the class described, an overhead sliding door, means for guiding the door from a closed vertical position to an open horizontal position, a rack, a fixed shaft supment between the supported ends of said shaft, means connecting the-door to the rack for movement therewith, and means including a pinion meshing with the rack for re ciprocating the same to open and close the door.

In testimonywhereof we afiix .our signatures. Y

EDWIN R. BEEMAN. LLOYD B. EDWARDS.

, ported at its ends, said rack being mounted on the shaft for endwise reciprocatory move- 

